Love Letters - Vol. 2026, No. 5

Love letters from me to you about what I've been thinking about, playing with, and obsessing over. Updated semi-regularly.

Something to know about me, I’m a spring girly. I know so many people who are in love with autumn, who are living their best lives watching the leaves turn colors while bundled up in a cute sweater, drinking a warm beverage and planning their Halloween costume and I love that for them, but it couldn’t be me. I have always come alive in the spring. The return of warmth, the longer days, bright green leaves and fresh new flowers everywhere. Hell, the lightening of my seasonal depression probably doesn’t hurt either. As we leave winter in the rear view mirror, I bloom. My thoughts feel fresher, my step is lighter, and I love to lean into the itch that takes up residence under my skin to shake up my life, to throw everything away and change my appearance and go somewhere where nobody knows my name. I legitimately become a chaos demon. Spring is my season!

Luckily for me, I’ve gotten to enjoy an extended spring this year. I’ve been doing a tour of Oregon for the past few weeks, first stopping in Ashland for about 18 hours, then spending a week in Portland visiting friends and then spending another week hanging out on the Oregon coast. Spring in Northern California generally starts around the beginning of February but this far north, it was really just getting into the swing of things as I arrived in late March. And wow, it has been glorious! Portland was just covered in grape hyacinth, tulips, and daffodils, and everywhere you turn there’s trees overflowing with pink flowers. I have been in heaven.

It was my first time in Oregon and I was just stunned over and over by how beautiful it is! After being in California for almost a decade, I am used to living in the postcard you send your friends back home that says "wish you were here!" And I will definitely never get over how gorgeous Cali is, but Oregon is equally beautiful in its own way, full of just so many beautiful trees and rivers. And I was lucky enough to be there while all the cherry trees along the Willamette River in downtown were in bloom. When me and my friend went to see them, it felt like we had wandered into the most chill street party. There were so many people out playing music and picnicking and sunbathing and just enjoying the day. There were even two girls who had set up a lyra and were practicing which was so fun to watch!

My days in Portland were spent sharing fun adventures and good food with my good friends. We wandered the wonderland that is Powell's City of Books, traipsed through downtown, had tea at the Lan Su Chinese Garden, and did a little shopping at the funky boutiques in the Hawthorne.

After Portland, I drove out to Bandon and spent some time by myself, hanging out with a sweet little cat and enjoying the little towns along Oregon's rocky coast. It was so relaxing hanging out between the waves and the forest and I'll freely admit that I enjoyed a nap pretty much every day I was there.

For the final hurrah of my trip I stopped in Arcata/Eureka. I watched the sun rise over the ocean, then found delicious savory pie for breakfast before wandering Eureka's funky and sweet downtown. I was absolutely enamored by all the public art and the beautifully painted old buildings. I took sort of a ridiculous amout of pictures and I love them all. I also had one of the most delicious lattes ever from Familia Cafe inside the fabulous mint green hotel downtown. The latte was chock full of cinnamon and honey. I've been dreaming about it ever since.

Overall, it was an excellent trip and I can't wait for my next visit to up north!

Hope you are also feeling renewed this spring and are giving yourself a chance to bloom!

Much love,

Lucy